MASTERPIECE

The drawing offers unique insight into the design stage of the process of creating a shield. The change in iconography in the upper cartouche is remarkable. Perhaps the scene was adapted at the request of the brewer’s guild, although the underlying reason remains unclear. It cannot be ruled out that a new preparatory drawing was used to eventually complete the shield. Pieter van Sychem made his design full-size. The drawing paper was cut into a circular shape, or tondo. He drew images from the saint’s life in brown ink and included many details. As a silversmith, Van Sychem knew how to perfectly render materials in his draft drawing. The washed zones in grey imitate the shimmering silver of the shield. The silversmith was active in Bruges between 1695 and 1724. In 1697, Van Sychem was appointed dean of the Bruges guild of gold- and silversmiths.